Chattanooga police Chief Fred Fletcher on Tuesday fired an officer who last week was accused of sexual assault and inappropriate sexual behavior while on duty, according to police.
The incident with Officer Alexander Ego allegedly happened on March 25, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A complaint was filed with the police department on March 30.
The TBI is investigating the case for any potential criminal acts at the request of Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston. A TBI spokeswoman said Tuesday the agency will not disclose the gender or age of the person who filed the complaint, but did say the person is an adult.
Ego graduated from the police academy in September and had been employed at the department for less than a year. Communications coordinator Kyle Miller confirmed Ego's firing but declined to comment further.
"Because there is an active criminal investigation concerning Probationary Officer Alexander Ego's behavior, the Chattanooga Police Department will be unable to release additional details or comment further at this time," he said in a release.
Ego is at least the second Chattanooga police officer to be fired from the department amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in recent years.
In April 2015, former detective Karl Fields was fired after allegations surfaced that he made sexual advances toward a female rape victim in a case he worked. At the time, Fletcher said Fields neglected his duty and acted in an unbecoming manner.
The police department launched an internal investigation into Fields after a woman gave authorities hundreds of text messages between her and a man who identified himself as Fields. In the messages, Fields flirts with the woman, flatters her, offers her rides and asks her to send nude photos.
In September 2015, a 44-year-old Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., police officer was fired for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old girl. That officer, Cecil Kevin Shadwick, was also accused of sexual misconduct while on duty, and allegedly met the girl while he was on the clock.
Neither Fields nor Shadwick have been charged with criminal offenses.
The TBI could not provide a timeline for the conclusion of its investigation into Ego, but when the investigation is finished, the agency will turn its findings over to Pinkston, who will decide whether Ego should face criminal charges.
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